Jason Aldean Addresses 'Try That in a Small Town' Backlash at Cincinnati Show

Country music star Jason Aldean addressed the controversy surrounding his single “Try That in a Small Town” during a concert in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Saturday, July 21.

Footage filmed by Grover Collins shows Aldean speaking to fans before performing the song at Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center.

“You know what I stand for, and I’ve never shied away from that at all,” Aldean says. He finished by saying, “The people have spoken.”

The controversy centers around the song’s pro-gun message, alleged promotion of violence, and alleged racist imagery in the song’s music video, which shows clips of protests and robberies projected onto a courthouse in Columbia, Tennessee. The Columbia courthouse was the location of the 1927 lynching of 18-year-old black man Henry Choate.

Aldean previously responded to backlash via Twitter on July 18, saying it was “meritless.”

“In the past 24 hours I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests. These references are not only meritless, but dangerous. There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage — and while I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music — this one goes too far.” Credit: Grover Collins via Storyful

Video transcript

[CHEERING]

JASON ALDEAN: Everybody have a fun so far tonight?

[CHEERING]

Well, I got to tell you guys, man, it's been a long last week.

[CHEERING]

It's been a long week, and I've seen a lot of stuff. I've seen a lot of stuff suggesting I'm this, suggesting I'm that.

[BOOING]

Hey, here's the thing. Here's the thing. Here's one thing I feel. I feel like everybody's entitled to their opinion. You can think--

[CHEERING]

You can think something all you want to. It doesn't mean it's true. Right?

[CHEERING]

What I am is a proud American. I'm proud to be from here.

[CHEERING]

I love our country. I want to see it restored to what it once was, before all this bullshit started happening to us.

[CHEERING]

I love my country, I love my family, and I will do anything to protect that. I can tell you that right now.

[CHEERING]

- (CHANTING) USA. USA. USA. USA. USA. USA.

JASON ALDEAN: Now, here's what I want to say. A lot of things out there, and one thing I love-- you guys know how it is this day and age. Cancel culture is a thing. That's something that, if people don't like what you say, they try and make sure that they can cancel you, which means try and ruin your life, ruin everything. One thing I saw this week was a bunch of country music fans that could see through a lot of the bullshit. All right?

[CHEERING]

I saw country music fans rally like I've never seen before, and it was pretty badass to watch, I gotta say. Thank you guys so much.

[CHEERING]

So I have people ask me, man, everything's going on with this song. Do you think you're going to play it tonight? Do you think you're not going to play it?

[CHEERING]

And I said, you know, people that come to my shows, you guys know what I'm about. You know what I stand for. I've never shied away from that at all.

[CHEERING]

And I know a lot of you guys grew up like I did. You kind of have the same values, the same principles that I have, which is--

[CHEERING]

--which is we want to take our kids to a movie and not worry about some asshole coming in there shooting up the theater. Right?

[CHEERING]

So when somebody asks me, hey, man, you think you're going to play this song tonight? The answer is-- the answer was simple. The people have spoken, and you guys spoke very, very loudly this week.

[CHEERING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]